Speaking of networking and sharing ideas, as you all know, UHAS subscribes to the Haitian mantra "l'unite fait la force." ("Unity makes strength" or more poetically translated, "In unity there is strength.") Consequently, last week, UHAS Executive Board reached out to Hartford based, Haitian American Association to discuss the future collaboration of these two organizations in Connecticut and Haiti. In establishing ourselves as a resource bank for medical personnel, and more notably Haitian nurses, UHAS recently supplied the Hartford based group for their upcoming missions trip to Haiti on March 8th, Nurse Carine Murat and PHd candidate and mental health professional, Cidna Valentin. Similarly, our partners at Old St. Andrews' Ecole le Bon Samaritain (Good Samaritan), in Carrefour, also welcomed UHAS Nurse Claire Hardin on February 18 to volunteer at the clinic. In addition, one of our UHAS representatives and Medical Volunteer Coordinator, Reine Boyer will be traveling to Haiti this week with the Old St. Andrews' Ecole le Bon Samaritain Volunteers Coordination Team including, Rev. Puck Purnell, Rector at Old St. Andrews, Gus Schelegel, Joanne Kimball, Sheelagh Murphy-Jones, Erika Dayton,and Stephanie Millien (daughter of the Rev. Jean Elie Millien, Director of Ecole le Bon Samaritain). Rev. Puck writes on his daily blog at www.oldstandrews.net, ". . .[t]his "Coordinator's Team 1" will be assessing where we are and how to move forward from here. It's an important trip, important for us to get our eye-balls on the situation and conditions."

UHAS is thankful to have partnered with Old St. Andrews' Ecole le Bon Samaritain because our medical volunteers have truly had meaningful and unforgettable experiences that have connected them not only to the people of Haiti but also to the gracious staff at Ecole and Old St. Andrews. It is our sincere hope that on this journey to Haiti with the "Coordinator's Team 1," that UHAS will provide meaningful input and tangible solutions to help our friends at Ecole le Bon Samaritain to sustain their good works through the clinic. Also on this journey, we hope to survey and assess the city of Leogane. As you all are aware, UHAS, along with the City of Norwalk's citizens have proposed a resolution to partner and participate in the uplifting and rebuilding of Leogane, (a city approximately 20 miles outside of the capital, Port au Prince). We are pleased with this endeavor and hope to help build sustainable resources and models for years to come in Leogane. UHAS Engineer Volunteer, Eric Heininger on behalf of the Infrastructure, Engineering, Housing Subcommittee of our Haiti 2010 and Beyond project, will be traveling to Leogane with some UHAS representatives and local Haitian Engineer to survey and assess the conditions in Leogane. Eric will also be volunteering at the clinic in Carrefour giving "hands on" and technical know how to our friends at Ecole le Bon Samaritain whose school was also badly devastated by the earthquake. UHAS Team 2 Medical Volunteers will be heading out on February 28th thanks to the tireless efforts of Volunteer Coordinators Pam Kaprowski, Gia Card and Coulette Lioce. Thank you ladies! UHAS Team 2 members include Nurses Geraldine Baptiste-Anderson, Gertrude Baptiste-Plaza, and Nursing students, Stephanie Tillman and Laura Maycock. These women will spend their days and evenings for one week providing medical aide to the patients of the clinic that come every day as early as 5 a.m. to wait in line for the clinic to open up seeking medical attention. It is this selfless dedication and dogged effort of our partners, volunteers and supporters like you that propel us to the next level in our medical relief efforts and long term reconstruction projects for Haiti.

To date, we have raised over $21,000.00 for the Haiti Relief Fund of Fairfield County in less than 5 weeks. Norwalk Mayor, Richard Moccia and the City Clerk, Ellen Wink have been very supportive of UHAS' Haiti Relief Effort. As you all know, the Mayor's office has been collecting funds and checks mailed to their offices on our behalf. UHAS Executive Board will be meeting with the Mayor to discuss the immediate dispensation of these funds. The meeting is scheduled for this week. Given our initial contract with Save the Children and Red Cross during the week the Earthquake hit, we will be honoring our commitment to donate a portion of these funds to these NGOs. However, given our longterm vision to help rebuild Haiti one town at a time, we know that we must also allocate and set aside a significant portion of these and future monies raised to these future projects in order to help the victims and survivors rebuild their lives in Haiti, and specifically Leogane. We intend to help our medical missions partners as well.

Lastly, the youth in many area schools in Fairfield County have helped UHAS to raise awareness of the plight of the victims of the earthquake by conducting drives for food and clothing, such as St. Peter's school in Bridgeport. Some area elementary and middle schools have raised money through their fundraising events including St. Ann's, St. Andrews and Ponus Ridge School. In addition, high schools, such as Brien McMahon in Norwalk, have answered the call to help Haiti's children by collecting money and sponsoring a Benefit dinner and variety show. On Thursday, February 25th at 6:30 pm, the multitalented and incomparable students at Brien McMahon High School, led by their truly dynamic French teacher and UHAS Youth Committee Member, Natalia Metwally, performed R&B and Gospel songs, original hip hop, original choreographed dance numbers, short skit/play on the dynamics of parent/budding teenager relationship, and fashion show to help Haiti's Earthquake victims. The group began the evening by singing a heartfelt version of the Haitian National Anthem. At the end of the banquet/show, the students presented Ms. Natalia Metwally with the plaque of appreciation. UHAS Executive Director, Gerry Azor congratulated the students for a successful evening and invited them to participate in this year's UHAS Haitian Day Festival and Parade held annually at Veteran's Memorial Park during July. The students were elated by the invitation and celebrated their "Haitian American 'Idol' moment, concluding the night, singing to the recorded remake of "We are the World," featurng Wycleff Jean. All proceeds from this event will be donated to the American Red Cross and Save the Children.

Although area students have played a major role in raising funds for the Haiti Relief Effort, local businesses, such as International Market in Bridgeport have donated water and nonperishable items as well. UHAS will be having another meeting during the first week of March to continue our discussions on our progress under our Haiti Relief Effort (Medical missions and Haiti Relief Fundraising events), and our initiative under the Haiti 2010 and Beyond projects. Please check our Website for date and time of meeting. www.uhasociety.org.